A week and a half later ...

Keane has been at Michele's for a week and a half now. We've been taking it slow. I'll lunge him tacked up at all three gaits in both directions, then attach the side reins and work him the same way. We've mainly been focusing on slowing him down and maintaining an steady rhythm--Michele says, "You don't want to ride that trot, do you?" when Keane is skittering around in the big sprawly trot with the hind legs out in the Atlantic. He is nicely balanced in the canter, though. I even worked him over two poles at the trot last week. Last Friday I started getting on and having Michele lunge me on Keane; last night we trotted and I'm sure we'll be off the lunge by next week.

Kelli had him going well, I'd even ridden him off the lunge at the walk and trot, but Michele and I decided to take it slow this week to give Keane time to adjust to the new barn and work routine (not to mention my own confidence and comfort level). Last night he started stretching out more in the side reins (which are adjusted loosely, natch), especially to the right.

Meanwhile, I've been keeping up the Thursday evening lessons on Freedom--I wish I were better about posting about them, but I go through these phases where I feel completely inarticulate and unable to process what I've learned in a lesson in to words. I'm enjoying riding him and still manage to progress bit by bit. Next week I'll be riding him in a clinic with Jeri Nieder from Twin Ridge. I haven't clinic-ed in ages, so it should be interesting (she said with a chagrin).